ITALIAN KITCHEN GARDEN

What could be more Italian than sun-ripened tomatoes, sweet and still warm from their ripening in the garden. A drizzle of the best olive oil and a bit of ripped basil… heaven. Tomatoes are truly a wonderful crop. The plants produce plenty of fruit and they store well (in the form of chutney, passata and sauce). Home-grown tomatoes are just about as far removed from supermarket-bought ones as you can imagine. Perfect for pots, patios, windowsills, or grow a field full… you’ll never have enough.

There are the bush varieties, known as ‘determinate’, which are low-growing and don’t need staking, or the ‘indeterminate’ type, which need to be secured to a cane or trellis. On the seed packet or seedling tray it will say what variety you have chosen.

SOIL/SITE

Full sun, richly fertilized soil with plenty of calcium. They grow adequately in a grow-bag but you can provide them with deeper rooting and better irrigation in a decent-sized trough full of well-rotted manure. You can start tomatoes inside on a window ledge and in a greenhouse and they will also do well outside, preferably on a south-facing wall. Some varieties of cherry tomato grow in cascades and are stunning in hanging baskets (but they are a nightmare to keep well watered in summer – you really need an automatic feeder).

SOWING

Depending on the variety, seeds should be sown in early spring – check the packet as some require an earlier sowing. The final planting distance is about 30cm (12in) apart. Whatever you do don’t put them out until you are sure there isn’t going to be any more frost locally. Harden the seedlings off first (putting them outside during the day and bringing in at night for a week) before you plant them… they can get very upset at a sudden change in temperature.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free until the plants reach a height where they will not have to compete with the weeds for light. Mulch plants to help retain moisture. Don’t let the soil dry out but also make sure they are well-drained (fussy beggars!). This is where a drip water feeder comes into its own.

‘Indeterminate’ varieties will need all the side shoots pinching out on a regular basis. Side shoots appear at the junction of a leaf and the stalk – all you have to do is nip it off with your fingernails when it’s still small. If you leave them the plant becomes too heavy and leafy with all the nutrients going towards growing new plant rather than new fruit. You won’t have a slug problem with tomatoes but keep the chickens out of your garden once they start to ripen, as the naughty chooks delight in eating them straight off the vine.

HARVESTING

Pick as soon as the tomatoes are ripe. If at the end of the season you are left with green tomatoes on a vine, remove the vine with the tomatoes attached and place on a sunny windowsill – they might just ripen but if not then you can use them in chutney.

STORAGE

Fresh tomatoes don’t store for very long. However, they are perfect for bottling and making into chutney.

EXPECTED YIELD

Yield is heavily dependant on variety and conditions but expect 2–3kg

(41⁄2–61⁄2lb) per plant.

VARIETIES

These are the best from hundreds of available varieties:

For meaty tomatoes try our local ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’. These plants produce large misshapen fruits that taste sublime. They should be grown in the greenhouse or outside only in the warmest, sunniest of locations.

My favourite plum tomato is ‘Roma’, which is one of the hardiest of the Italian varieties. You should be able to grow it outside and the fruits are good for eating fresh or making passata.

Cherry tomatoes are the little ones that are so sweet you can’t stop eating them. ‘Lilliput’ is one of my favourites because it produces absolutely loads of fruit and is easy to grow inside or out. You can grow it in hanging baskets and let the vines drape downwards, or in pots or in the ground and treat like a normal determinate variety. Cherry tomatoes are the easiest of all the tomatoes to grow and so if you only have room for a couple of plants make sure one of them is a cherry.

caprese salad

insalata caprese

This quintessential Italian summer dish is only worth eating when prepared with the perfectly ripe tomatoes of summer, fresh basil straight from the bush and good-quality buffalo mozzarella.

SERVES FOUR

6 ripe tomatoes (it doesn’t matter what type – just make sure they are luscious)

tomatoes stuffed with rice

pomodori ripienie

This recipe is brilliant for using up leftover rice. The herb mix in the ingredients is what I like – you could choose chives, parsley or whatever you have in the garden. So simple but tasty and filling.

If you use pre-cooked rice, the result will be more moist but be really careful when removing the tomatoes from the dish since they are more likely to collapse.

SERVES FOUR

50g (2oz) long grain rice or leftover pre-cooked rice – enough to three-quarters stuff the tomatoes

balsamic cherry tomatoes

pomodorini al balsamico

As you might have guessed, summer is a time of lots of tomatoes at Casa del Sole. It is important to use recipes that are very different in order that we don’t get tired of a particular crop. These roast tomatoes with that wonderful balsamic flavour are a delight. This is a tasty side dish – serve with crusty bread for dipping.

PER PERSON

bread and tomato salad

panzanella

Many Italian recipes are ‘use up the leftovers’ based. This lovely salad traditionally uses up the remainder of yesterday’s bread. The meaty ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ variety of tomato are perfect for this salad.

SERVES SIX

‘bolognese’ sauce

ragu

Ragu is what foreigners might term ‘Bolognese’ sauce. It is a signature Italian sauce used for pasta, gnocchi, lasagne and polenta. A good ragu takes a while to make (although the process is very simple), so I make a large batch and freeze it in portions for quick dinners and easy-make lasagne.

SERVES SIX IF USED WITH SPAGHETTI

425g can of chopped tomatoes (if you have fresh tomatoes to use up then use 500g/1lb 2oz of them and dice them – the taste is excellent when the ingredients are all fresh)

Slurp a big glug of olive oil into a large, heavy-based pan and heat. Soften the onions, garlic and celery in the pan for a minute or so. Add the pancetta or bacon and fry for a further couple of minutes, then add the mince. Once the meat has browned, sprinkle on the flour and stir in. Tip in the tomatoes and the water or wine and crumble in the stock cube. Stir to combine and then add the oregano and nutmeg.

Cover the pan and simmer on a very low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom and burning. After 45 minutes taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as you deem fit.

Serve with gnocchi, pasta quills or polenta… not with spaghetti if you want an authentic Italian dish.

tomatoes on toast

bruschetta al pomodoro

This is such a quick and easy dish to prepare that I often serve it when people pop around for a glass of wine and a chat. It’s also good for when you have a large dinner party, as people can nibble on the bruschetta whilst you get on with the cooking; it’s a traditional Italian antipasto.

PER PERSON

foglie e insalata

leaves & salads

lettuce

Often viewed as the base of any salad, lettuce comes in many different varieties. In Italy it is grown for winter consumption because it likes cool and moist conditions but in cooler climes it is best sown for a summer/autumn harvest. Or you can sow in autumn as long as you have a heated greenhouse.

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

Sow in drills about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep from mid-spring (after threat of frost) to late summer. Thin to 30cm (12in) apart.

TREATMENT

AFTERCARE

HARVESTING

Simply pick off the leaves as you need them. Be careful not to over-pick a plant – they need some leaves left to grow more.

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

chicory

cicoria

One of the easiest winter salads to grow, and crunchy and tasty too. The bitter taste of chicory goes perfectly with seafood and complements any salad.

SOIL/SITE

Any soil that is well drained.

SOWING

Sow in drills about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep from early to late summer. Thin to 30cm (12in) apart.

TREATMENT

In late autumn, cut the plant to just below the crown and, if you want to have a continuous supply through winter, replant in pots and keep in a frost-proof shed or cupboard. They will then shoot again.

HARVESTING

Break the shoots off as you need them – they will keep growing every month.

STORAGE

Once picked you can’t store it, so only harvest when you want to eat.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb) per msq (sq.yd).

VARIETIES

In a cooler climate I would grow ‘Radicchio Rossa di Treviso Tardiva’. This variety is really quite resistant to frost and so can be harvested right the way through winter. ‘Radicchio Grumolo Rossa’ is another good variety that resists frost well and with this one you cut the head once and leave the plant in the ground and it will grow again. Good value!

rocket

rucola

This is a super tasty addition to any salad. Rocket is easy to grow, and easy to prepare for the kitchen – it just needs a wash.

SOIL/SITE

Any soil that is well drained.

SOWING

Sow in drills about 1cm (1⁄2in) deep from mid-spring (after threat of frost) to late summer. Thin to 20cm (8in) apart.

TREATMENT

Cover the later sowings with a polytunnel and get a crop well into winter.

AFTERCARE

Watch out for weeds and slugs.

HARVESTING

Simply pick off leaves sparingly as you need them. Be careful not to over-pick a plant – they need some leaves left to grow more.

STORAGE

Rocket won’t store well even in the freezer so look at it as a seasonal treat.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb) per msq (sq.yd).

VARIETIES

There are two types of rocket – cultivated and wild. Cultivated needs to be re-sown after you have harvested the crop. With the wild variety, you can leave a few plants in the ground and it will re-seed itself. It’s also much more peppery than the cultivated variety. I grow this type in its own dedicated bed and simply keep it weed-free for a wonderful low-maintenance crop.

spinach

spinaci

I viewed spinach as a northern plant because it seems to like such a lot of water but Italians love this versatile plant. Eaten raw in salads, used as a stuffing for pasta, put on pizza or (my personal favourite) simply boiled, drained and served with garlic, chilli oil and lemon juice.

If you aren’t a spinach fan then it’s probably because you’ve never had home grown and properly prepared spinach. Not only is it easy to grow and will provide a crop most of the year, but it tastes great too!

Spinach likes fertile soil, plenty of water and partial shade. It is perfect for intercropping with tall plants such as sweetcorn or sunflowers since it likes the shade. You need to plant quite a lot of it for a good few meals but it is a ‘cut and come again’ crop and so provides a good batch a couple of times over on the same stalk. There are enough seasonal varieties for you to grow spinach all year around. It likes plenty of room and so isn’t a great container garden plant.

SOIL/SITE

Richly manured soil, not too sunny.

SOWING

Depending on the variety sow when advised on the packet. Outdoors: sow in drills 2.5cm (3⁄4in) deep and 30cm (12in) apart. Thin when seedlings are about 2cm (3⁄4in) high to about 15cm (6in) between each plant. In trays: Sow a few seeds per cell and thin out to one robust plant when about 2cm (3⁄4in) high.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free by hoeing, water in summer so that the soil is never dried out. Mulch in summer to help retain moisture. Watch out for slugs and snails.

HARVESTING

Pick the leaves whilst they are young and tasty. Pinch out the sprouting heads and eat them – they should grow back double. Or you can chop the whole plant at about 3cm (1in) from the ground when it is quite big, use those leaves and then wait for the stump to sprout again. Don’t forget to keep it weeded and watered.

STORAGE

Intended to be eaten fresh, but the best way to preserve spinach is by wilting it in boiling water, compacting it into freezer bags and freezing for future use.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb) per msq (sq.yd) per growth cycle (i.e. if you cut it and wait for it to grow back you get double this amount from your area).

VARIETIES

‘Riccio d’Asti’ is a variety that grows well in cooler climates and doesn’t take up too much room.

The kitchen garden in early spring is normally in slight disarray unless you are punctilious. Here you can see some of my raised beds in dire need of some digging and weeding.

radishes

ravanelli

In gardening, instant gratification is pretty unusual. However, radishes are as near as you can get to this and thus are brilliant for children to grow. The seeds sprout within a few days and, depending on conditions, you can be picking them within a month of planting.

SOIL/SITE

Any soil at all… if you can’t grow radishes then hang up your trowel and find another hobby!

SOWING

Sow in drills about 1cm (1⁄2in) deep from early spring (and hope there aren’t any hard frosts) to late summer. Thin to 10cm (4in) apart. Carry on sowing through summer for a constant crop.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free and watch out for slugs. Water well or they taste a bit woody.

AFTERCARE

Don’t let them bolt (run to seed) – pick as soon as they are ripe.

HARVESTING

Simply pick them out of the ground, give them a wipe and eat them – delicious.

STORAGE

They don’t store… pick ‘em and eat ‘em.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb) per msq (sq.yd).

VARIETY

‘Rapid Red Sanova’ – looks and tastes just like a radish should!

Radishes are a joy to grow since they are so speedy to mature. Even the most impatient gardener will be amazed at how quickly they are eating the fruits of their labour.

steak with rocket

tagliata con rucola

Rocket is a superbly spicy leaf that greatly complements this simple steak. Italians like their steak cooked on the outside and bloody within. To eat it ‘ben cotto’ – well cooked – is most unusual and often you will find that an Italian chef resists your request for a well-done steak. Behind closed doors it’s another matter…

SERVES TWO

green salad

insalata verde

A lovely crisp green salad is often served with a secondi (main dish) in a side dish. The salad is never placed on the plate with the main dish but eaten separately from the bowl. Italians like to simply drizzle a little good olive oil and red wine vinegar on their green leaf salad. Balsamic is more the reserve of the tomato, and complicated dressings are hardly ever found in traditional Italian cookery.

PER PERSON

big bunch of salad leaves (including rocket if you have some – for a lovely Italian kick)

spinach and ricotta cannelloni

spinaci e ricotta cannelloni al forno

These enormous tubes of pasta are perfect for stuffing with a thick sauce. Because they are cooked in the oven they are easy to prepare as primi piatti (starters) because you can do everything in advance and pop them in the oven at the last minute. The word ending ‘oni’ indicates something is big. If the word ending was ‘ini’ it would mean small.

SERVES FOUR

FOR THE STUFFING:

FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). If using dried cannelloni, bring a large pan of water to the boil and drop in the tubes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then check that they are on the hard side of ‘al dente’ – be very careful not to overcook them or they will be very difficult to stuff and will rip easily. You will know when they are done because you can bend them a bit but they aren’t flaccid.

Meanwhile, combine all the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove from the water and drain. Leave to cool until you can handle it. Stuff the tubes with the ricotta and spinach mixture and put in a large ovenproof dish.

Now make the sauce. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and then add the flour, beating well until it is a thick paste. Add the milk a drop at a time and stir/beat constantly. As soon as the mixture becomes a liquid add the rest of the ingredients and carry on adding the milk. Once all the ingredients are combined keep cooking on a low heat and stirring (lumpy sauce is usually because you don’t stir enough – don’t put the spoon down for a moment if you want a lovely smooth sauce!) for another 5 minutes.

When the consistancy of the sauce is correct (thick and creamy) take off the heat, fish out the bay leaves and pour over the cannelloni. Top with the remaining grated Parmesan and cook in the oven for about 35 minutes until the top is golden brown.

This creamy dish turns simple spinach into something really special. Spinach is a late-autumn and winter crop and is full of vitamins and minerals.

zucchini

courgettes & squashes

butternut squash

Butternut squash is my favourite type of squash because it tastes so wonderful in soups and risotto. The slightly sweet nutty flavour makes it a hit with the children too. And the best news is that it’s easy to grow and should give an excellent ratio of food to effort.

SOIL/SITE

They grow pretty much anywhere but they prefer to be planted in plenty of muck. They’ll grow on your muckheap if you let them – and why not? Otherwise, any soil that has been heavily manured.

SOWING

Sow inside in trays from about late winter and plant out under cloches or upturned plastic bottles or jam jars when the first couple of true leaves show (these are the ones that look star-shaped rather than the rounded baby leaves). They will withstand a light ground frost if they are covered but it’s better to keep them inside until the risk is gone. You can sow them in situ outside from late spring onwards for a later crop.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free to begin with. This type of squash is a wonderful climber, so set it off over your shed roof but be prepared to have to support the fruit once it gets big. It’s just as happy meandering along the ground, however, but needs a lot of room.

AFTERCARE

Watch out for slugs eating the fruit. Keep the squashes off the ground by putting a flat stone, tile or somesuch underneath them. This prevents any rotting of the flesh on wet ground.

HARVESTING

When the leafy bits of the plant start to die is the time to pick the squash. If there is a risk of an early frost then cut your losses and bring in the fruit early – frost ruins ripe squash.

STORAGE

Butternut squash store brilliantly right the way through winter. Simply keep them hung – or put them on a rack – in a dark, cool and airy place.

EXPECTED YIELD

2–3 squashes per plant.

courgette

zucchini

Courgettes are marrows that have not been allowed to grow big. In my first year of gardening I planted six plants and they were satisfyingly prolific, but we were all so sick of courgette that year that I didn’t plant any the following spring. Now, I put in three plants and that is perfect for us. They are very easy to grow.

SOIL/SITE

Sheltered site in full sun, well-fertilized, well-drained but continually moist soil.

SOWING

Sow in seedbeds or pots throughout spring (as a rule but varieties vary so follow the instructions on the packet). Harden off well if planting outside. Plant out about 70cm (28in) apart when the seedlings have five or six good leaves. Protect the young plant with a jam jar or plastic bottle – mostly from slugs and snails. Can be planted in a wide container but don’t put it anywhere that you have to brush past it, as the leaves and stems are spikey.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free until the plants get to a height that they smother the weeds themselves. Mulch in summer to help retain moisture. Watch out for slugs and snails on young plants, later the prickles will keep most predators at bay.

AFTERCARE

Keep them moist but not wet. If growing marrows, once the fruit is large and lying on the ground, protect from rot by placing a tile under the fruit. If you are not eating the flowers, once they have died off remove them since in wet climates the flower rotting can spread to the tip of the courgette and spoil it.

HARVESTING

Harvest tiny with the flowers on for a deep-fried Italian feast, later when they are tender, or leave on the plant to grow into marrows for stuffing. Use a sharp knife to chop through the stems. The more you pick, the more come along.

STORAGE

You can freeze them, chopped, but they go mushy when defrosted, so are only good for stews or ratatouille. Marrows tend to keep for a month or so if hung up in a cool, dark environment.

EXPECTED YIELD

15+ courgettes per plant.

deep-fried courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta and chilli peppers

fiori di zucca

This recipe was kindly given to me by a chef who helped me learn a lot about Italian cookery. He worked at the time in a large villa outside Lucca in Tuscany and this was the first recipe we cooked together. I had never deep-fried anything in my life before, so it was a revelation how easy it could be. The batter is a little bit more complicated than a normal batter but it comes out so amazingly crispy that it’s worth taking the extra few minutes over.

SERVES FOUR

FOR THE BATTER:

FOR THE FILLING:

First make the batter: sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the oil and mix into a paste. Then add the water slowly, changing to a whisk when the mixture becomes liquid enough. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites (use a clean whisk too or they will never whisk up properly) until they are stiff and glossy. Then fold the egg whites into the batter. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Take the courgette flowers and and trim the stalks to about 3cm (1in) in length (so that you have something to hold onto). Then carefully spoon the filling into the flowers. Don’t overfill them or the stuffing will come out when you are cooking.

Pour sufficient oil into a deep pan or fat fryer deep enough to cover the top of the flowers and heat to about 180°C (350°F) – you can test whether it’s ready by dropping a drip of batter in: if it bubbles and cooks quickly then the oil is ready. Dip a courgette head in the batter, coat fully apart from the stem (which you don’t normally eat but use to pick them up with) and place in the oil immediately. Don’t crowd them in the oil or they won’t cook well. They will be done in a matter of minutes and are ready when the batter is golden brown. Fish out with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Serve immediately to loud applause.

spaghetti with baby courgettes

spaghetti ai zucchini

Zucchini (courgette) are astoundingly gorgeous when eaten tiny and tender. In their season you normally have so many of them that it is no shame to eat them small.

SERVES FOUR

pumpkin and sage ravioli

ravioli di zucca e salvia

This is a wonderful winter dish packed with vitamins and full of flavour from your garden – even in the middle of winter. The fresh pasta is wonderful, not tricky – just a little messy. You can make a big batch and freeze some for another day. Pasta should really be made on a flat marble worksurface, but this is not vital.

SERVES SIX

FOR THE PASTA:

FOR THE FILLING:

FOR THE SAUCE:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Put the butternut squash in a roasting tin and coat with a good glug of oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pasta. Mound the flour on your worksurface and make a well in the centre. Break in the eggs and whisk with a fork, incorporating the flour around the edges as you go. The dough should be soft, pliable and dry to the touch. Add some chilled water if the mix is too dry. Knead for 5–10 minutes until the dough becomes glossy and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes.

Remove the squash from the oven and set on one side to cool. When cool enough to handle, add the ricotta and mix in all the remaining filling ingredients except the egg yolk.

Cut the pasta into quarters. Using a wooden rolling pin, roll out one-quarter to about 5mm (1⁄4in) depth and then fold it over once and repeat this for a traditional 10 times. Then finally roll the pasta out to the thickness you require, about 2cm (3⁄4in). Repeat this with the next quarter. Try to get the finished sheets the same size and shape. Take the first sheet of pasta and spoon 1 teaspoon blobs of filling, 3cm (1in) apart, in a straight line down the sheet. Repeat this so you have a grid of filling blobs. With a pastry brush, brush the egg along all the avenues of the grid. Place the second sheet of pasta on top of the first and settle gently over the stuffing. With your fingertips, gently press the top layer of pasta down to the bottom layer along the avenues where there is no stuffing. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the ravioli along the empty avenues (between the blobs of filling) in one direction and then in the other to make squares. Repeat for the second two batches of pasta. The pasta can be cooked immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and, once it is boiling steadily, drop the ravioli into the water. The pasta should take only 3–4 minutes to cook and will rise to the surface when it is ready.

To make the sauce, heat a little of the butter in a pan, being careful not to burn it. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp. Remove and then melt the rest of the butter in the pan. Add the sage leaves to the butter and pour sparingly over the ravioli.

peperoni

sweet & chilli peppers

Peppers are a must for the Italian garden. My friend Marisa grills them and preserves them in oil. But I never seem to grow enough for this and we eat them, usually still warm from the sun, in salads or baked and stuffed.

Peppers are really a warm climate plant but will grow well in cooler climates if you coddle them a bit. They are best grown in a greenhouse, conservatory or windowsill because they like it warm, resent too much rain and love plenty of sunshine. Don’t grow sweet peppers and chilli peppers near each other – if they cross-pollinate the sweet peppers will take on a spicy tang!

SOIL/SITE

Sunniest, most sheltered site with moist, well-drained soil, preferring a slightly acid environment.

SOWING

Early to mid-spring. It really is best to sow in pots inside. Plant out sweet peppers about 40cm (16in) apart or in a pot not less than 40cm (16in) diameter when the plants are about 20cm (8in) high. Chilli peppers tend to be smaller bushes – check the packet and proceed as advised. Harden off carefully. Any frost or sudden drop in temperature will kill off your crop.

AFTERCARE

Balance the fine line between keeping the soil moist but not wet. If under-watered the flesh of the peppers will be thin and hard, but they don’t like it too wet. Mulching is good for moisture retention. Watch out for the plant becoming overburdened with fruit – you might need to prop it up with twigs.

HARVESTING

All peppers start off green. If you leave them they will go red or yellow (unless they are a specific green variety). Pick when they look about the right size. The more you pick, the more flowers are produced and so the more will grow.

STORAGE

Chilli peppers dry well and can be stored in this way. I also freeze some ready chopped, as the frozen ones retain their strength better than dried ones. Sweet peppers can be preserved in oil or chutney but otherwise won’t store more than a few days.

YIELD

Very dependant on conditions and variety but around 8 peppers on a sweet pepper plant and 20+ chillies per chilli bush.

VARIETIES

‘Corno Rosso’ are the easiest to grow and will even do well outside in a sunny year if planted in a sheltered spot. They are a little unshapely, though, so if you want a good pepper for stuffing grow ‘Topepo’.

spicy spaghetti with garlic

spaghetti a l’aglio, olio e peperoncino

For a long time I avoided this dish because it sounded too plain. What a mistake! This is Tuscan cookery at its simple best. The best oil, the best garlic, the best chilli. Perfect.

SERVES SIX

(if you have it, substitute the two above ingredients for one cup of chilli-infused oil)

hot pepper pizza

pizza peperoni al diavolo

The Italian word for a sweet pepper is peperoni. When I first moved to Italy I didn’t speak any Italian and kept being upset when I ordered a pepperoni pizza because I was expecting spicy salami. I have no idea how the word has become so corrupted but I do know that the pepperoni pizza is now one of my favourites. Because Italians like their flavours clean and uncomplicated, they don’t traditionally put a lot of different toppings on the same pizza. The ‘Diavolo’ bit means that it’s hot as hell!

Pizza in Italy is made in large stone ovens, which gives them a unique taste. However, all you need to do is put your oven up to the hottest setting and you can cook a pretty good pizza ‘a casa’.

I always make my pizza dough in a bread-making machine – it’s easy and you can get on with other things whilst the machine does the hard work.

MAKES THREE PIZZA

FOR THE DOUGH:

FOR THE PIZZA:

To make the dough: put the water, sugar, dried yeast, flour, oil and salt in the bread machine and choose ‘dough setting’. Do it in this order because the yeast doesn’t like to be in direct contact with the salt.

If you don’t have a bread machine, follow the instructions above in a bowl and mix in until you have dough. Then knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until it becomes soft and elastic. Leave for

10 minutes and then knead for another 10 minutes. Leave in the bowl in a warm place, covered with a teacloth for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the pizza sauce. Combine the passata, salt and oregano and leave at room temperature to infuse.

When the dough is ready, chop it into three equal lumps. At this point you can shape it into little balls and leave it to rise again under a cloth until you are ready to use it, or you can use it immediately. Preheat your oven to its highest setting.

Lightly grease your pizza pan with oil – use any non-stick flat-bottomed baking sheet or pie dish. Roll each pizza dough out to size, then lift onto the pan. Push out using your fingers if the pizza dough is too small.

Spoon 3–4 spoonfuls of the passata mixture into the centre of each pizza and use your spoon in increasing circles to push the sauce out to the edges. Then arrange the pepper slices on top, sprinkle the cheese evenly over and place in the hottest part of your oven. Depending on your oven temperature, they should take between 5–15 minutes to cook. You’ll know they’re done when the edges of the base start to brown and when shaken the pizza should rattle around in the tin. The mozzarella will be melted too.

Remove from oven and drizzle well with the infused oil and serve immediately.

stuffed peppers

peperoni ripieni

Home-grown peppers are often smaller than the huge shop-bought ones but they are twice as tasty. Peperoni Ripieni can be a primi piatti (starter) without the meat or a secondi (main course) with the meat, unless you are vegetarian, in which case substitute with chopped walnuts and pop in an extra free-range egg.with oil with oil

SERVES SIX AS A STARTER OR ANTIPASTI – DOUBLE FOR A MAIN COURSE

brassiche

brassicas

In many parts of Italy, the winter months are very cold. The kitchen garden always has something in it, though. Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) are a winter staple. There is no reason why you can’t grow these things in a cooler climate. Broccoli is frost-resistant, as is cavolo nero, which has kept many a Tuscan family alive during winters in the war. If you live in a place where the ground freezes for weeks on end you can grow brassicas in an unheated greenhouse.

broccoli

I just love broccoli. It’s a wonderfully reliable winter plant and is fairly easy to grow. Traditional broccoli is great and I plant plenty but also try sprouting broccoli, which is even more hardy through winter and carries on sprouting when you cut the first crop – perfect for smaller gardens or containers. Apparently, birds can be pests since they also get hungry in winter. We have five good farm cats so don’t have any problem at all but if necessary just rig up a net over the bed when the heads mature.

SOIL/SITE

Full sun, richly fertilized soil slightly alkaline (make sure you have added a little lime before planting).

SOWING

Sow in drills or pots from late spring (as soon as the weather starts to warm up). Plant out about 60cm (24in) apart when the seedlings have five or six good leaves. For sprouting broccoli, keep planting up to mid-summer to get a continuous crop.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free (hoe) until the plants reach a height where they will not have to compete with weeds for light (in Tuscany the weeds stop growing in the autumn). Mulch in summer to help retain moisture. Watch for slugs and snails.

HARVESTING

Depending on what you have planted (autumn, winter or spring varieties), you can cut from early autumn to late winter. You can tell they are ready because the flowers look like broccoli! Don’t leave it too long before cutting the flowers since they can open up and not be as tasty. For sprouting varieties, cut as soon as the sprouts are big enough to be worth eating and keep cutting until the plant doesn’t produce any more.

STORAGE

Broccoli doesn’t store well in the freezer – it’s grown as a winter crop so you shouldn’t need to store it anyway.

EXPECTED YIELD

You should get one large head per ‘hearting’ broccoli and numerous shoots from ‘sprouting’ varieties.

cabbage

cavolo

Cabbage is used in Tuscan cookery but the varieties are limited. You either get the large Savoy cabbage, which is easy to grow but takes up an awful lot of space, or more popular is the ‘Tuscan’ cabbage, which is really more like kale than cabbage but tastes wonderful. It grows tall with long narrow leaves so doesn’t take up much room.

SOIL/SITE

Any soil normally does for this hardy plant.

SOWING

Sow in drills or pots from late spring (as soon as the weather starts to warm up). Plant out about 60cm (24in) apart when the seedlings have five or six good leaves. Keep planting into mid-summer for a winter crop.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free (hoe) until the plants get to a height where they will not have to compete with the weeds for light and the weeds stop growing in the autumn. Mulch in summer to help retain moisture and in winter to help protect the roots from ground freeze. Watch out for slugs and snails – they love this plant.

HARVESTING

Harvest the bottom leaves whenever you are hungry. If you cut the top off, the plant will grow side shoots but they won’t be as good as leaving the main shaft intact.

STORAGE

Cabbage can be frozen once it is in a stew or soup or otherwise pickled (which isn’t worth it as you should be eating it through the winter months fresh).

EXPECTED YIELD

You should be able to feed a family of four on 4 plants if you eat cabbage once a week.

VARIETIES

In my opinion there is only one Italian cabbage worth growing: ‘Cavolo Nero di Toscana’.

Cavolo Nero is a traditional Tuscan plant. It is wonderful prepared on its own or added to soups and stews to give colour and vitamins in the winter months when other fresh vegetables are scarce.

cauliflower

cavolfiore

Cauliflower is another superb winter brassica but is a little trickier to grow than its brother broccoli. Typically, my favourite vegetable is notoriously difficult to grow but because it is so beloved I have kept at it and had a little success. For the new gardener I would advise you to look on cauliflower as a challenge but not to rely on it as a ‘crop’ until you’ve sussed out your soil and local weather. Cauliflower are not a great container or small garden crop – grow something more reliable on your precious plot.

SOIL/SITE

Sheltered site in sun or partial shade, fertilized soil slightly alkaline (make sure you have added a little lime). Dig in some ash too as you prepare the site. Don’t over-manure them with fresh manure – too much nitrogen stunts their growth.

SOWING

Sow in drills or pots from late spring (as a rule, but varieties vary so follow the instructions on the packet). Plant out about 60cm (24in) apart when the seedlings have five or six good leaves.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free (hoe) until the plants get to a height where they will not have to compete with the weeds for light. Mulch in summer to help retain moisture. Watch out for slugs and snails. Protect the curds (flowers) from weather by bending some leaves over them. When it starts to get frosty I recommend covering the crop with fleece – extreme frost will damage the curds and make them inedible.

HARVESTING

Depending on what you have planted (autumn, winter or spring varieties), you can harvest from early autumn to late winter. They are ready when the curds are exposed. Don’t leave it too long to harvest them after the curds have shown… I tend to wait for them to grow bigger (I always put them in on too rich soil so they end up small) and consequently they end up slightly mouldy and only fit for the rabbit (but even our rabbit got fed up with cauliflower last year!).

STORAGE

Cauliflower doesn’t store well in the freezer – it’s grown as a winter crop so you shouldn’t need to store it anyway.

EXPECTED YIELD

You should get 1 large head per plant.

VARIETIES

‘Romanesco’ is great for a change to northern varieties because the curds are green and form in spikes. For a more traditional-looking cauliflower, try ‘Marzatico’, which is good in the cold.

pasta with broccoli

orecchiette ai broccoli

Orecchiette means ‘little ears’, which is what this pasta looks like. It is the perfect shape for picking up the sauce and the lumps of broccoli. Broccoli is a staple vegetable throughout the winter and this recipe makes it a little bit special.

SERVES SIX

rustic seasonal soup

ribollita rustica

Ribollita literally means ‘re-boiled’ and is the traditional soup that would sit on the fireside and get added to and eaten from on a daily basis. Ribollita is one of the Tuscan staple foods throughout winter because it utilises all the leftovers plus dried beans and the nutritionally valuable cabbage.

The vegetables that go into the soup are just a suggestion – use anything you have from the garden. The things that make it ‘ribollita’ are the beans, the bread and the cabbage. And that it’s boiled a lot.

SERVES SIX

Drain the beans, then put them in a large pan, cover with water and simmer for 30–40 minutes until they are soft. Top up the water so that it is always covering the beans by not more than 2cm (3/4in). Drain and rinse the beans.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan and cook the onions gently for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the carrots and celery and sweat until soft, then add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the potato, bay leaf, chillies, cabbage, stock and beans, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. At this point the cabbage should have decreased in volume. Add some water if the soup is looking too thick.

Stir in the bread, cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes. You are aiming for a chunky, thick soup so if it’s watery take the lid off and boil some of the liquid away, or if it’s too thick add some water or tomato juice. Season to taste. To serve, spoon into bowls and swirl a good slurp of excellent olive oil on the top.

cauliflower and pasta bake

cavolfiore e cuocere in forno pasta

This staple Casa del Sole dish is something I normally serve to the family on a weekday night when I need to have dinner prepared in advance. You can jazz it up a bit by adding some thin strips of Parma ham to the top just before you pop it in the oven. However, it’s a great dish for vegetarians without this.

SERVES SIX–SEVEN

Put the pasta on the hob to cook.

Cook the cauliflower with a dash of water in the microwave on full power for about 7 minutes – until all stalks are soft when prodded with a knife blade. Place in a very large baking dish. Cook the onion and garlic with a splash of good olive oil in the microwave on full power for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the pasta when it is ‘al dente’ and pour over the cauliflower, then mix in the onions and garlic. Pour the sauce (hot or cold – no matter) over the vegetables and pasta, sprinkle on the Parmesan and grate a little nutmeg over too. You can now store this dish in the fridge or cook it right away.

Place in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) until the cheese has melted and the top is golden.

asparagus

asparagi

Asparagus requires it’s own bed for the whole year so you have to have a decent sized plot to be able to grow it. Once planted it needs little maintenance and will be amongst your first greens to grow in the new year. It’s easy to grow and fabulous to eat: definitely worth planting.

SOIL/SITE

Any soil that is well drained and in full sun. Work the soil well and remove as many of the weeds as you can because this will be the last time you can dig the bed.

SOWING

Buy the ‘crowns’ (roots – which look like a stringy mop head) early spring and plant them so that the crown is about 2cm (3⁄4in) under the surface. If the roots are really long (and the best ones are) you can lay them sideways rather than digging a hole a foot deep.

TREATMENT

Make sure the newly planted roots do not dry out. Water when very dry. Cut the fronds back in Autumn to about 5cm (2in) height. Cover in winter with compost or manure. They also like the minerals from ash.

AFTERCARE

Watch out for weeds and slugs

HARVESTING

For the first year leave the asparagus uncut. In the second year you can cut a few of the first shoots. From the third year on you can harvest as much as you like. The more you cut the more will grow. Harvest when the spears shoot up but before the ends have unfurled their foliage or the flesh will be woody and tough.

STORAGE

You can pickle asparagus or freeze it (though on defrosting it will be limp and only really good for soup). It’s best eaten completely fresh.

EXPECTED YIELD

2kg (4 1⁄2lb) per sq m (sq yd)

asparagus with poached eggs

asparagi con uova in camicia

Asparagus arrives almost overnight in the late spring. It grows so fast that you have to keep a keen eye on the garden or the spears will have grown too long and go to seed. As soon as you see the asparagus peeping above ground get ready to enjoy it, as the season can be quite short. Home-grown asparagus is one of the most heavenly tastes in the world, hence this simple and classic recipe.

SERVES SIX

Clean the asparagus and chop off the woody bottoms, leaving just the green stems.

Boil for 7–10 minutes until tender but still slightly crunchy. Remove from the water, pat dry with a teatowel and stack in neat piles on six plates.

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil for the poached eggs. Once it is simmering break the eggs into the water. There is no mystery to good poached eggs – it is all in the freshness of the eggs. Eggs over four days old will not hold together well in the water, so use a poacher.

Once the egg whites are opaque and hard, remove from the water using a slotted spoon and place one egg on each pile of asparagus.

Season, then top with a little butter and shave the Parmesan over each plate to taste.

alliums

onions, garlic & leeks

onions

So many dishes need onions that they really are a must in your kitchen garden. I have grown them in all three different ways, from sets, from seed and from immature seedlings, and all ways worked well but they are quite high maintenance from a weeding point of view because their spindly leaves are no good at thwarting the competing weeds.

SOIL/SITE

Sunny site with moist, well-drained and well-dug soil that has been tamped down well – onions need firm soil or they keel over because their roots aren’t all that strong.

SOWING

Outside, sow in drills 2cm (3⁄4in) deep and about 15cm (6in) apart from early spring. From seed, my preference is to sow in a seed tray and then transplant when the seedlings are ready to about 10cm (4in) apart. The closer they are to each other the smaller the onions will be. If sowing sets (heat-treated baby onions) just pop them in the ground 1cm (1⁄2in) under the surface, in drills 10cm (4in) apart with a 10cm (4in) space between them and watch them grow (this is the easiest but most expensive way of growing onions). Sometimes, if I have forgotten to plant the onion seedlings early enough I plant the little seedlings that you can get at market gardens in spring. These are treated just like the seedlings you grow yourself but save you the hassle of bringing on seeds.

TREATMENT

Onions like water if it is very dry but don’t worry about them too much unless there is a drought.

AFTERCARE

Keep them weeded well or your onion crop will suffer in size. Some people turn onion leaves over on themselves and tie them up with an elastic band, the idea being that the nutrients go back into the bulb. I’m not convinced; happy plants are normally natural plants.

HARVESTING

Early plantings should be ready in mid- to late summer and successive plantings should be ready after this. Harvest before the first serious frosts. They are ready for pulling when the leaves start to die off but if you need an onion before that happens you can always pull some up early.

STORAGE

Onions keep well if stored in a dry, dark place. I like to plait mine into ropes and hang them up in a cupboard. You can also store them in a pair of old tights – pop them down the legs and make a knot after each one. They don’t like being stored on the ground or in piles. Small onions store better than large ones and as soon as it gets to be springtime they detect it and start sprouting, so try to have used them all up by late winter.

EXPECTED YIELD

10 per 1m (3ft) row.

garlic

aglio

This is one Italian plant that thrives in cooler temperatures. In fact, it positively needs a good frost. A fairly easy plant to rear and it’s indispensable in the kitchen. Plant and treat exactly as onion sets.

SOWING

Make two sowings, one in late winter and one in late autumn for year-round fresh garlic.

VARIETIES

Italian Purple, ‘Rosso di Sulmona’.

leeks

porri

Leeks are not only easy to grow, they grow in winter just when you need them. They resist frost, so they don’t need any storing – just pick them as you need them. What a thoughtful little veg. I put them into the bed that I have just taken my early potatoes out of.

SOIL/SITE

They grow pretty much anywhere, so pop them in a bed that nothing else likes much and they will do fine.

SOWING

Sow in drills or cells from early spring (indoors from mid-winter). Plant out when they have four or five good leaves. They need to go in about 15cm (6in) apart and if you want them to get lovely white trunks you need to use a dibber (fat, pointed stick used for making holes) and make a widened hole about 20cm (8in) deep, then drop the plant in the hole and water in.

TREATMENT

Leeks only need attention if there is a drought, when they appreciate a bit of water.

AFTERCARE

Like onions, keep them weed-free and bank soil up the stems as they grow to encourage a long, white trunk.

HARVESTING

Pick when needed: leeks taste wonderful when they are small but you can normally leave them in the ground until you need them, into the next spring.

STORAGE

If you have to pull them because you need the space, you can ‘heel them in’ and they will keep until you need them.

EXPECTED YIELD

10 per 1m (3ft) row.

VARIETIES

‘Gigante d’inverno’ – the perfect winter leek.

Leeks grow big. They need pulling up and using before the outer skin starts to split, or the whole vegetable will be spoilt.

leek and potato soup

porri e patate

This hearty soup is a perfect winter warmer. Leeks are normally ready from late autumn and then throughout the winter. Potatoes are easily stored and you should be aiming to use them up through winter.

SERVES SIX

Put the potatoes in a pan of water. Slice the leeks into thinish rounds and add to the pan, then crumble in the stock cubes. There should be sufficient water in the pan to cover the vegetables but no more than this. Cover with the lid (this is important to conserve all the flavours of the stew and to avoid steaming the whole house) and boil until the potatoes are soft.

Take a potato masher and mash the soup into the consistency you prefer (I like mine smooth but some like it chunky). Season to taste. If the soup is slightly too thick add some more water or a little milk. If too thin then boil for another few minutes without the pan lid. Add the mascarpone or cream (don’t boil it after the cheese or cream is added – it can curdle and look nasty, although it will still taste fine) and stir to combine, then serve.

mussels with baby leeks

cozze con porri bambino

Little leeks are often available in the spring, but they are normally available in late summer and autumn, so whenever you harvest them, use for this fresh and tasty dish.

SERVES FOUR

Parsley is easy to grow and indispensable in the Italian kitchen. The most commonly used type is flatleaf.

leek tart

torta di porri

Vegetable tarts are often served at lunchtime. Traditionally they are fairly shallow but usually I have so much of the vegetable ingredient that I tend to make them a little deeper than I should. You can use this base recipe for any vegetable (or mixed vegetable) tart.

TO MAKE A DEEP 20cm (8in) FLAN

FOR THE PASTRY:

FOR THE FILLING:

150g (5oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or any old cheese if you haven’t got Parmesan handy)

Dice the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs (and you can’t find any more lumps of butter in the mix). Using a fork, stir in the olive oil and cold water. Mix with the fork until the mixture holds together. If necessary, get your hands in there and mould the dough (pasta in Italian). Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest for about half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Sauté the leeks lightly in the olive oil until they start to go opaque. Then add the wine and cook until most of it has evaporated. If you are not cooking with alcohol, add about ½ a cup of water and cook on a low flame for another 10 minutes until there is only a little leek juice left in the pan. Set aside for a moment.

Roll out the pastry and line your tin/flan dish. Prick the flat surface of the pastry so that it doesn’t rise, and place in the heated oven for 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and cream in a bowl. Season, add the leeks and mix thoroughly.

Remove the pastry case from the oven and make sure it is cooked sufficiently for the sides not to collapse when you move it. Pour the leek mixture into the partially cooked pastry case. Grate the nutmeg generously on top and then sprinkle on the Parmesan.

Cook for a further 20–30 minutes until the top is golden. Leave to cool before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature and don’t keep for too long or the pastry base will go soggy.

baked spring onions

cipolline al forno

Baby onions are delightful and in abundance when you are thinning your onion rows.

SERVES SIX

fagioli e piselli

beans & peas

beans

My Dad used to grow string beans and I’ve never liked ’em! However, I love French beans and the best thing about this type is that the more you pick, the more you get. The dwarf varieties are perfect for container gardening. I also like to grow a couple of other varieties especially for drying and using in soups in winter. For this I plant ‘Red Mexican’ and ‘Cannellini’, not normally from a proper seed shop but from the local organic food market since normal dried beans should germinate just as well as those bought in packets and usually cost considerably less.

SOIL/SITE

Sunny site with moist, well-drained soil. They do not like acid soil, so if you have a mystery problem with your peas look into the pH of your ground: they like it limed.

SOWING

Sow in drills 3cm (1in) deep and about 5cm (2in) apart. Peas are pretty hardy, so you can sow from early spring to mid-summer with most varieties and use ‘early’ ones in late winter. If sowing indoors, plant two peas in every cell and thin out the weakest.

TREATMENT

‘Pole’ varieties climb and will need some sturdy bamboo wigwams to climb up. If you are gardening in a small space then climb them up a trellis against a wall and plant a few bush varieties at the bottom to optimize space.

AFTERCARE

Keep the weeds down until the plants are large enough to mulch. They really benefit from a good mulching through summer, as it keeps the soil cool and moist.

HARVESTING

Whenever the beans are looking plump pick them. The more you pick the more will grow. If you leave beans on the plant it will not produce more beans. If leaving the peas for drying then leave them on the plant until it browns, then pick the pods, use your thumb to chase out the beans and store them away somewhere cool and dry. Once finished, leave the roots in the ground and dig them in as a fertilizer (beans store nitrogen in their roots, which is a potent fertilizer).

STORAGE

French beans should be eaten fresh within a few hours of picking. You can freeze them but they take up a lot of room and never taste as good as the fresh ones.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb) per 1m (3ft) row.

Black fly infesting a young bean plant. The only organic way to get rid of them is to introduce ladybirds, who will eat them. In this case, however, the problem is slight and they will not affect the crop.

peas

piselli

Peas are amazing when fresh from the garden – sweet and delicious. Even frozen peas are a poor alternative to fresh from the garden, as the sugar in the pea starts to turn to starch within a few hours of picking.

SOIL/SITE

Sunny site with moist, well-drained soil. They do not like acid soil, so if you have a mystery problem with your peas look into the pH of your ground.

SOWING

Sow in drills 3cm (1in) deep and 5cm (2in) apart. Peas are pretty hardy, so sow from early spring to mid-summer with most varieties and use ‘early’ ones in late winter. If sowing indoors, plant two peas in every cell and thin out the weakest.

TREATMENT

The ‘wrinkled’ variety (when it grows it’s normal) is pretty hardy but it’s best if you can protect them with fleece. Mice and birds love peas, so if you don’t have a cat, you might need to put netting over the plants or have a bird scarer. Mice steal the peas when they are sown – rinse the seeds with paraffin (doesn’t have any affect on the germinating pea) or sow in pots and plant out as seedlings.

AFTERCARE

Keep the weeds down until the peas are large enough to mulch. Peas benefit from a good mulching through summer, as it keeps the soil cool and moist. Most peas will need support for their climbing habit. Stick a few branches in among your plants or make a bamboo wigwam with netting for them to climb up.

HARVESTING

Whenever the pea pods are looking rounded and full, pick them. The more you pick the more will grow. If you want to dry the peas, leave them on the plant until it browns. Once harvested, remember to leave the pea roots in the ground and later dig them in (pea roots are a great source of the nutrient nitrogen).

STORAGE

Peas should be eaten fresh within a few hours of picking. If you want to store them, drying is the most practical way (super in stews and for making mushy peas). You can freeze them but never taste as good as the fresh ones.

EXPECTED YIELD

1.25kg (23⁄4lb) per 1m (3ft) row.

sweetcorn

granturco dolce

In all honesty, Italians don’t eat sweetcorn unless it’s made into polenta. This is because it’s difficult to grow tender corn in such a hot, dry climate. Sweetcorn is divine when eaten straight from the garden but it doesn’t store too well. As soon as the cob is picked the soluble sugars start to turn to starch, so if you eat it soon after picking it is delicious but the longer it is stored the less appealing its taste. Sweetcorn is simply corn that is picked early. You can leave the cob on the plant to dry out if you want to make cornflour out of it or save it to feed to your chickens or rabbits. I grow more for the livestock than I do for the family.

SOIL/SITE

Full sun, richly fertilized soil, slightly acid out of preference.

SOWING

Sow outside from late spring (as soon as the weather starts to warm up) about 15cm (6in) apart. Sow in blocks since this plant is self-pollinating by wind and needs to be near other corn plants for fertilization. You can start the corn off earlier in pots inside or under plastic – I do this because otherwise I the slugs and mice have a feast. Or you can plant sweetcorn in containers and they do really well. Put something like spinach at their base to optimize planting space.

TREATMENT

Keep weed-free until the plants reach a height where they don’t have to compete with weeds for light. Mulch in summer. Watch out for slugs and snails.

HARVESTING

Pick the cobs whilst they are young and tasty. They are ready when the corn has gone yellow. If you leave them on the plant for another week they will start to be less sweet. In this case leave them there to dry and save them for your chickens.

STORAGE

Fresh sweetcorn don’t store well, so eat straight away. As dried corn (maize) they store well – dry out on the plant or hang to air-dry then put the whole cobs in bags and keep dry, or scrape the corn off the cob and store in a container.

EXPECTED YIELD

You should get 2 cobs per plant.

VARIETIES

‘Zuccherino’ is one of the most flavourful for corn eaten straight from the garden. ‘Sisred’ is good for making polenta.

broad beans with sheep cheese

baccelli e pecorino

This quintessential simple summer dish uses the tastiest of ingredients fresh from the garden. Beans start to lose their sweetness once picked, so to pick and eat within a few hours is the aim of this dish.

SERVES SIX

3kg (61⁄2lb) broad beans (fava or baccelli), podded and shelled to give 600g (1lb 5oz)

Put the beans, cheese, oil and vinegar in a large bowl and toss together. Season with a little salt and pepper and serve.

bean and cabbage soup

ribollita

This is a thick cabbage stew, full of winter goodness and vitamins. At a time of year when there isn’t much produce in the garden ribollita saves the day. It is also a traditional Tuscan ‘fast food’ since it is normally cooked in large quantities over the fire and then eaten, reheated, over the next few days. Traditionally it is eaten at olive harvest time when every pair of hands is required in the groves and no time is spared for cooking.

SERVES SIX

Soak the beans overnight in cold water (you can cook them from dried but it takes so much longer). Drain the soaked beans, put into a pan and cover generously with water. Put the lid on and bring to the boil. The beans need to be softened and this could take anything up to 60 minutes, depending on what sort of bean you have used. Make sure that the beans are always covered with water to avoid burning them.

Once the beans start to soften add the vegetables and passata. Season with lots of salt and black pepper to taste, then simmer until the beans are cooked through. The soup should be a thick consistency, so if it’s too runny, boil without the lid for a short time, or add water if it is too thick. Once the soup is cooked, take it off the heat and adjust the seasoning. If you like a creamy soup, take a potato masher to it, otherwise leave it chunky.

To serve, place one trencher of bread in the bottom of a bowl and ladle in the soup, then drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Leave to stand for a moment before serving to let the soup soak into the bread.

beans in tomato sauce

fagioli all’uccelletto

Beans are such a staple of the Italian diet because they are easy to grow and store well through the year. This hearty dish is made in summer with fresh tomatoes and through winter with preserved tomatoes. The recipe was given to me by the owner and chef at ‘da Sandrino’, a super little restaurant in the heart of the Sorana valley bean-producing area. Attilio and his ancestors have run the restaurant since the 1800s. Sorana beans are famous throughout Italy for their delicate flavour and extremely thin skins.

SERVES SIX

500g (1lb 2oz) cannellini beans (or preferably Sorana beans if you can get hold of them)

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain the soaked beans, put into a pan and cover generously with water. Put the lid on, bring to the boil and cook for about 40 minutes – maybe more – until soft.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the tomatoes, garlic, sage and peppercorns and cook for about 5 minutes until thickened. Season this sauce with salt and pepper.

Strain the beans and keep ½ cup of the water. Add the beans and reserved water to the tomato sauce and stir over a gentle heat. The sauce shouldn’t be too runny – cook a little longer to evaporate if necessary.

spaghetti carbonara with peas

carbonara primavera

This superb dish is served in a restaurant near to us in the village of Montecarlo; it has fantastic views from the terrace and the wines from this area are outstanding.

SERVES FIVE/SIX

250g (9oz) pancetta (if you can’t find this, then fried bacon will do – I use smoked), diced

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti, cook for about 6 minutes (it normally tells you how long on the packet) until al dente. Whisk together the milk and eggs, add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Drain the pasta when it is ready and leave in the colander for a moment. In the same large pan, heat a slurp of olive oil and fry the onion until opaque (a couple of minutes) but not browned. Put the pasta back in the pan and keep the heat on low. Add all the other ingredients and stir until the sauce thickens.

Serve immediately.

di patate

potato

Potatoes aren’t prevalent in Italian cookery like they are in many northern countries. However, there are some very Italian dishes that rely on them. Gnocchi is one. And potatoes are so easy to grow. If you choose an early variety you can pick the potatoes and later plant something else in the same ground. I normally plant leeks for winter in the furrows left from my early potatoes.

There is little more satisfying than lifting your potato crop and rootling through the dirt for treasure. Potatoes are easy to grow, store well and, although they take up a lot of room, even the container gardener can have a go – simply half fill a large container with well-rotted manure, put in as many potatoes as you have room for (see Sowing, below) and cover with more compost.

SOIL/SITE

Heavily mucked soil. Plant potatoes on ground that is heavy and needs work – the roots will help break up the soil, so you won’t break your back digging.

SOWING

Chit potatoes about six weeks before planting to give them a head start: place the seed potatoes, the ends with most ‘eyes’ on uppermost, on a windowsill to encourage them to sprout. Pop them in the ground when the sprouts are 3cm (1in) or so long. Plant early varieties as soon as the last frost is over. If you make a mistake and put them in when there is a frost, don’t worry too much unless there are shoots poking up already – in which case cover them with fleece until it gets a little warmer.

Dig a channel and put the tubers in about 35cm (14in) apart. Cover with the soil and then a huge amount of rotted manure. Potato varieties come in ‘early’ or ‘maincrop’. I always only plant earlies because you can plant these in early spring (or earlier if you protect them with plastic or a polytunnel), lift them at the end of spring and still have loads of time to plant something else on that plot. Maincrop take up a lot of room for a long time and are also susceptible to blight in the warmer, muggy summer conditions.

TREATMENT

When the sprouts start showing above ground ‘earth up’ (cover the sprouts so that you end up with a raised mound). This protects the new shoots from the cold, encourages more root growth (hence more potatoes) and makes sure that your crop is well buried and you won’t get green potatoes (which are poisonous and occur when a normal potato is subjected to light whilst it is still attached to the root system).

AFTERCARE

Weed until the plants are large enough to smother the weeds themselves. Keep the ground moist in dry times – potatoes will crack if not given enough water.

HARVESTING

You can harvest your potatoes whenever you like, lift them early for little potatoes and later for biggies. Some traditions have you lifting them as soon as the flowers have died, but I have found that as long as your site is free-draining you can leave them in as long as you need to.

STORAGE

Potatoes can be clamped successfully through winter. Once out of the clamp, store in a dark dry place.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb)+ per plant.

VARIETIES

As far as Italians are concerned, ‘Primura’ (which is an early potato) is one of the best. However, getting seed potatoes of an Italian variety can be tricky, so just go for any floury variety if you are growing them to make gnocchi (as you need particularly dry potatoes for this).

gnocchi with pesto

gnocchi al pesto

Gnocchi is a really filling dish and is always a primo piatto because it fills you up nicely before you move onto the meat course. It’s not as difficult to cook as you might think.

The secret to good gnocchi is to keep the potatoes as dry as possible, which is why I bake mine (and I like to eat the skins with some butter on them as I’m cooking) but you can also boil them in their skins and peel them once cooked to reduce wateriness.

SERVES SIX

Bake the potatoes for about 1 hour, then leave until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork, trying to keep it as fluffy as possible – a potato ricer is perfect for this job. Mix in the egg yolks and then gradually stir in the flour. Once a loose dough forms stop adding flour and transfer to a floured worksurface. Knead gently and carry on adding flour until you have a soft dough that is damp but not sticky to touch.

Divide the dough into about six portions and roll each out into a rope the thickness you require for your gnocchi. Using a sharp knife, chop the gnocchi into small cubes, then press a fork into the top of each piece to give it ridges.

To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the gnocchi in batches, so that they are not too crowded in the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes – when they rise to the surface they are done. Drain and immediately add the pesto sauce, stir gently to coat all the gnocchi and serve.

potato bake from the north of Italy

torta di patate alta adige

Southern Italy sticks to pasta because this is what is readily available, northern Italy flirts with potatoes, rice and polenta because these things grow in the cooler and more temperate north. The northern Alta Adige region is famous also for its dairy produce. This dish is normally served as a primi but can also be served as a contorni dish (side dish to the secondi course).

SERVES FOUR

herby roast potatoes

patate arrosto erbaceo

These super potatoes are delicious and an excellent healthy alternative to standard roast potatoes. You can use dried herbs if you don’t have them fresh but it isn’t quite the same.

SERVES SIX

altri ortaggi

other vegetables

carrot

In my experience, carrots are tricky to grow. First I started out with a heavy, clay soil that they didn’t like to send their roots down into. The next year I had improved my soil with so much manure that the carrots went mad and forked off all over the place. One day I’ll have the perfect, deep loam needed, but until then I’ll only grow the snub-rooted varieties, which don’t get upset by shallow, stony or over-fertile soil.

SOIL/SITE

Deep, stone-free, sandy soil.

SOWING

Carrots must be sown directly into the bed or container they are going to grow in. You can’t sow carrots in pots because they don’t like moving and it just attracts the carrot root fly, so sow in situ 2cm (3⁄4in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart in late spring to summer. If you sow every 2–3 weeks you will have a constant supply of carrots through autumn. Sow thinly so that you don’t have to do too much thinning (the carrot fly sniffs out the scent of crushed carrot leaves during the thinning process). I intersow my carrots with my onions and have not yet had a carrot root fly problem. You can grow carrots in pots – they grow really well in compost with a bit of sand added but take up a lot of space. You can intercrop them with onions, however, to keep the carrot fly away and they don’t compete for each other’s space.

TREATMENT

Thin the seedlings out to 10cm (4in) apart to start with. As they grow, take out every other baby carrot (good in salads) so that the distance is then 20cm (8in), which is good for growing big carrots for storing in winter.

AFTERCARE

Weed, weed and more weeding. Hoe if your plants are spaced widely enough for it not to disturb the roots, but really you are best off doing it by hand.

HARVESTING

Pull up young carrots when you want them for your dinner. For your main crop (the ones you want to store), leave until they are nice and big, normally late autumn before the first frosts. Dig them out with a fork to avoid damaging the root. Try to harvest on a dry day and leave them on top of the soil to dry off a bit. Brush them clean with your hand but never wash them – they won’t keep more than a week if they get wet. Trim off the green tops with a knife and compost them.

STORAGE

Carrots are best stored in sand. I put a layer of carrots (trying not to let them touch each other) in a box and then cover them with sand and repeat. They store all winter like this.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb)+ per 1m (3ft) row.

VARIETIES

‘Nantese di Chioggia’ is a good Italian variety. If you have bad soil or limited space (i.e. in pots) try the unimaginatively named ‘Mini Round’.

It is really important to label your seeds well, as many plants look similar when they are small.

aubergines

melanzane

Aubergines are beautiful to look at and, when home grown, are tasty too. A real Mediterranean vegetable, they are not too difficult to grow as long as they are given a sheltered, sunny spot. A very good container plant since it grows high and you can plant something else below it (I put strawberries under mine).

SOIL/SITE

A sheltered, sunny spot that has been manured well but not recently. They also grow well in grow-bags or fair-sized, deep pots.

SOWING

Don’t try to sow outdoors – sow in cells early to mid-spring. Keep in a greenhouse or conservatory (it has to be around 20°C) until the plants are about 30cm (12in) high. Then you can plant outside, preferably against a south-facing wall, but they are more likely to crop well in a greenhouse or on a window ledge.

TREATMENT

Keep moist but not wet. Mulch through summer and don’t let them grow too high – pinch out the end sprigs when the plant gets to be 70–80cm (28–30in) high.

AFTERCARE

Weed until the plants are large enough to mulch. Ensure the fruits aren’t too heavy for the branches – if necessary, support them with twigs. Don’t let the fruit come into contact with anything or the skin will be scarred.

HARVESTING

When the fruits are glossy purple they are ready to harvest. Don’t try to pull them off the stalks – you’ll damage the plant, instead use secateurs.

STORAGE

The only way of storing them is to slice and either grill them and put them under oil or dry them (good for using in winter lasagne). Otherwise, just eat them fresh – it’s unlikely that you will have too many.

ESTIMATED YIELD

Normally about 5 aubergines per plant.

VARIETY

The round ‘Kamo’ variety is popular in Italy, as is ‘Violetta lunga’, which is a more traditional-looking aubergine.

fennel

finocchio

Fennel is greatly loved by Italians. Not only does it taste wonderful, but it also aids digestion and, due to some clever phytoestrogens, is great for balancing hormones. It’s a wonder plant in other words. It was taken from its indigenous home in Italy all over the world by the Romans, who used it as a valuable medicinal plant more than an addition to the dinner table.

SOIL/SITE

A sheltered, sunny spot that has been manured well but not recently. They also grow well in pots.

SOWING

Sow outdoors or in seed trays in early spring and do a second sowing in early summer for a winter crop.

TREATMENT

Allow them to dry out occasionally.

AFTERCARE

Keep weed-free, as they can get choked and stunted with too many weeds. They can withstand frost but not a complete freeze – pull up if you know there is going to be a particularly cold snap.

HARVESTING

Eat at any point in growth but it’s obviously better to leave them to mature into larger plants.

STORAGE

Freezes quite well for use in stews, etc., but obviously loses its wonderful crunchy texture.

EXPECTED YIELD

1kg (21⁄4lb)+ per 1m (3ft) row.

VARIETIES

‘Florence’ is the quintessential Italian variety.

aubergine with parmesan

melanzane alla parmigiana

This Italian dish uses loads of aubergine and so is normally cooked at the end of summer when the aubergines are in full fruit. ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ are the best tomatoes to use in this dish.

SERVES SIX

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Preheat a griddle pan.

Brush the aubergine slices with oil and griddle on both sides for 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and dust with flour. Some people like to salt cure their aubergine to stop it tasting bitter but I have never had a bitter aubergine from my garden. If they are ripe (when lightly squeezed they yield) they should be fine without salting.

Put the garlic in a bowl, add a slurp of oil and season well. Layer the ingredients in an ovenproof pan or dish, brushing each layer with the garlic oil. Drizzle some more olive oil over the dish, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, sprinkle the Parmesan over and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the top is browned and the aubergine is cooked.

fennel gratin

finocchi gratinati

This dish uses a lot of fennel, which is handy when you find that you grew too much…

SERVES SIX

100g (31⁄2oz) freshly grated Parmesan (or any other cheese you have handy) nutmeg

wild boar stew

spezzatino di cinghiale

Wild boar is a very Italian speciality, popular in the mountainous regions where hunting is traditional. The meat can be extremely gamey. This recipe was gifted to me by Attilio, a local chef.

SERVES SIX

Wash the boar meat and dice into bite-sized pieces. If it smells really strong you can rinse it in a little vinegar to take the sharpness away.

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the boar meat on all sides for a few minutes. Add the cloves, bay leaves, juniper berries and a grate or two of cinnamon and cook for another few minutes, then add the red wine if you are using it. Add the vegetables, passata and 250ml (9fl oz) water. Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer on a very low heat without a lid for about 11⁄2 hours. Stir every now and then to prevent the bottom from burning and season with salt and pepper halfway through cooking. The stew is done when the boar meat is no longer tough.

Add more passata for more sauce, if necessary, with the stew and to keep it moist.

erbe

herbs & wild ingredients

What would Italian food be without herbs? Decorative in the garden and on the plate – the Italians often refer to them as ‘drugs’, in the sense that they have medicinal properties as well as being an integral part of the taste of Italy.

Herbs are ideally suited to container gardening since most like well-drained soil and don’t mind drying out on the odd occasion. You can pop them in a large planter together (none of the herbs mentioned below are invasive, so will not strangle each other) and keep them outside your kitchen door for convenience. However, it’s often easier to buy established plants if you want to start using them straight away.

The following herbs, excepting basil, are perennial, so you don’t have to replant them every year.

oregano

A margherita pizza just isn’t the same without a generous dose of oregano and fresh is certainly best. This plant likes the sun and needs a little space, so don’t overcrowd it in a pot. I plant mine around the bottom of my bay tree to give both room to grow.

STORAGE

In winter the plant goes a little dormant, so the leaves taste of nothing. At this time it is good to have a previously harvested crop available. Drying the leaves works quite well but the best thing to do is harvest and freeze in small containers.

bay

Bay is a tree – a decidedly large tree if left to grow unchecked, so watch out. It’s best to keep it contained in a pot and prune regularly to encourage new leaf growth. It will survive quite a harsh freeze if planted in the ground but if the roots freeze it will not be happy at all, so swathe potted trees in fleece at very cold times of the year or bring inside into a cool hallway or greenhouse.

STORAGE

Bay dries very well but you don’t really need to bother since the leaves stay full of flavour all year, so you can pick them fresh whenever you want.

rosemary

rosmarino

Rosemary is used extensively in Italian cooking. It is hardy and should survive well outside in most places. Although it grows well in a pot, it really likes to be in the ground. It can grow into a huge bush if planted out and can also become a little straggly, so prune back well after it has flowered.

STORAGE

As with bay, you can dry it well, but why bother when you have your year-round fresh stock?

thyme

timo

Thyme is one of the herbs you find in packets of ‘Italian Herb Mix’. It is great in meat sauces and I like it with roast chicken too. If looked after it will last through the winter (you may need to cover it or bring it into somewhere sheltered during very cold spells if it is in a pot). Grow a mixed container of variegated sage, oregano and thyme and it will not only look wonderful but also provide your kitchen with a great herb assortment.

sage

salvia

Sage is a wonderful Mediterranean plant. It likes sunny and dry conditions. Ideal for well-draining planters, sage will give a more intense flavour if kept dry. I like the large leaf varieties because I use a lot of sage, but for a pretty herb pot the small, variegated leaf sage is pretty and tasty.

parsley

prezzemolo

Parsley is used in all Italian cooking where there is garlic and with almost every fish dish. Flat leaf parsley is the Italian variety. Technically it is a perennial (lives throughout the year) but I find that you are very lucky, especially in cooler climates, if this is the case. You can grow it in pots and bring them inside for the winter or you can sow it every year for a new crop. The seeds take about a month to germinate and should be planted in early spring.

basil

basilico

Basil is an annual and this means that you need to plant it from seed every year. It’s easy to grow but you need to start it off inside in northern climes. It is a great pot plant and will also grow happily inside on a windowsill.

SOIL/SITE

Basil needs a rich earth.

SOWING

Sow in situ in the garden after the last frost. In cold climates you will find that growing from seed on a windowsill or in a greenhouse from mid-spring will give you a good crop. Alternatively, you can sow under mini poly tunnels.

TREATMENT

Weed well.

AFTERCARE

Basil needs to be watered well but not kept wet.

HARVESTING

Harvest the leaves as you need them. If you pinch out the top growth you will encourage the plant to become more bushy. Pinch out the flowering heads since once it has flowered basil loses a lot of its taste.

STORAGE

Basil loses a lot of its flavour when dried so if you dry it remember you will need to use a lot of it. It can also be chopped and frozen. The best way to preserve it, however, is in pesto.

EXPECTED YIELD

12 plants per msq (sq.yd).

VARIETIES

You can get all sorts of basil, including a lovely purple variety, but the ‘Classico’ is what you will find in most Italian kitchens.

rosemary pizza bread

pizza di pane al rosmarino

This is a simple yet delicious appetizer. Served in a pile in the middle of the dinner table, this is a perfect beginning to a sociable dinner and as it cooks the rosemary smells divine. In Italy, many restaurants serve this as soon as you sit down, so that you won’t starve whilst you are looking though the menu! Rosemary is a perennial (doesn’t die off in winter) and the needles stay full of flavour throughout the year and so you can make this bread at any time.

SERVES SIX AS AN APPETIZER

Preheat the oven to as hot as it goes. Roll out the pizza dough to about 4cm (11⁄2in) thickness and place on a tray(s). Sprinkle the rosemary over the dough and place in the oven. Depending on the temperature, the dough should be cooked in 5–8 minutes (it’s done when it starts bubbling up and the edges start to brown.) Remove from the oven, place on serving plates and drizzle generous amounts of excellent olive oil over the surface. Finally, sprinkle some sea salt over and serve.

Work the dough hard – don’t be afraid to be rough with it. This is great stress relief!

nettle risotto

risotto ortica

This is one of my favourite dishes because the nettles are free and it uses ingredients I haven’t had to slave over in the garden. It also indicates the onset of spring, as nettles are one of the first things to start growing after a long winter. It’s best made with new, very green shoots. Don’t forget your rubber gloves!

SERVES FOUR

Keeping your rubber gloves on, very finely chop the nettle leaves.

Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Melt the 50g (2oz) butter in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and cook gently until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat it in the butter and to ‘toast’ the grains. Once all the rice is warm, add the wine or milk. Cook until the wine evaporates and the onion and rice are nearly dry (if using milk, just simmer for a moment), then add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, and each time allowing the liquid to evaporate before adding the next ladle. After about 10 minutes, add the nettle purée and carry on cooking, adding stock as you go, until the rice is soft but still al dente. The risotto should be slightly drier than normal so that when you add the butter and cheese it will become the perfect consistency. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the cubed butter and Parmesan. (If the risotto is getting dry and claggy, just add a touch more milk and stir well. If it’s too wet, just carry on cooking on a low heat until it comes to the correct consistency.) Season with plenty of salt, garnish with the sage leaves and serve immediately.

pesto

Pesto is such a versatile sauce, yet before I moved to Italy I had never tasted it. How can that be? It is probably because the commercial pesto you can buy in jars is good but nothing like as superb as freshly made pesto. My friends laugh at me for making my own from scratch (collecting the pine nuts and cracking them and growing lots of basil especially for my pesto) because it is such a time-consuming business but there is no denying that when it is done it’s the best.

MAKES ENOUGH PASTA FOR FOUR/SIX

There are two ways of making pesto, the traditional and the quick.

The quick way is to bung all the ingredients in a blender and zap in short bursts until you have a rough paste.

The traditional method is worth doing if you have someone to impress because the texture is different and some argue the taste is better because of the way the ingredients are worked:

Using a large pestle and mortar, grind the garlic to a paste. Add the basil and give them some real pounding until they begin to break down. Add the pine nuts as few at a time and work them in. Then start to add the oil a little at a time and keep on grinding. Finally, scrape into a clean bowl and add the cheese, stirring in well.

This paste can be saved in jars (pop it in a jar, then seal with a layer of oil and then twist the lid on tight, which should stop any bacterial decay), frozen or used immediately.

THE Vegetables

pomodori

tomatoes

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

VARIETIES

caprese salad

insalata caprese

SERVES FOUR

tomatoes stuffed with rice

pomodori ripienie

SERVES FOUR

balsamic cherry tomatoes

pomodorini al balsamico

PER PERSON

bread and tomato salad

panzanella

SERVES SIX

‘bolognese’ sauce

ragu

SERVES SIX IF USED WITH SPAGHETTI

tomatoes on toast

bruschetta al pomodoro

PER PERSON

foglie e insalata

leaves & salads

lettuce

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

AFTERCARE

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

chicory

cicoria

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

VARIETIES

rocket

rucola

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

AFTERCARE

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

VARIETIES

spinach

spinaci

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

VARIETIES

radishes

ravanelli

SOIL/SITE

SOWING

TREATMENT

AFTERCARE

HARVESTING

STORAGE

EXPECTED YIELD

VARIETY

steak with rocket

tagliata con rucola

SERVES TWO

green salad